


Judge Not

by JudyL



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-04-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 05:44:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/744942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JudyL/pseuds/JudyL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Response to Vin F&D 1hr fic challenge – Theme word: judge</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judge Not

* * *

Ezra paused mid-knock as the door to the Clarion opened. He opened his mouth to speak, but the look on Vin’s face stopped him. He was surprised when Vin shoved him back a few steps and strode past the gambler without a word. 

“Vin!” Mary called, stopping short at the sight of Ezra standing in the doorway. She lowered her hand and the book she had been waving at the tracker’s quickly disappearing back. She sighed and looked at Ezra who continued to watch Vin until he entered the livery. “Something I can help you with, Mr. Standish?” Mary asked, sounding somewhat unsettled. 

Ezra quickly added up all the clues and came to a conclusion. “I would surmise that Mr. Tanner’s lessons are not going well,” he said softly. 

Mary straightened her shoulders and put a polite frown on her face. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

Ezra smiled slightly. “It’s all right, Mrs. Travis. I am aware of Vin’s… illiteracy. I actually stopped by to offer you the use of my small collection of reading materials, should Vin find himself interested.” 

Mary sighed. “Perhaps we shouldn’t discuss this on the boardwalk,” she said, moving back to allow him entrance to the newspaper office. 

He followed, removing his hat as he scanned the large room. He was surprised to realize he had never been in the building before. “An impressive enterprise,” Ezra praised, examining the printing press that took up a large area in the center. 

“Thanks,” Mary said, nonplussed. “I don’t really feel comfortable discussing Vin’s… lessons. I offered to help him, but he’s embarrassed by his lack of education.” 

Ezra nodded. “I would have offered to help, but after I behaved so rudely…” he shrugged, not explaining what he meant, “I doubt Vin would accept my assistance. I was pleased to see you were teaching him.” 

Mary fiddled with the book in her hands, worrying her lower lip with her teeth as she struggled with herself. Finally, she looked Ezra in the eye and handed him the book. “Will you talk to him?” 

He held his hands up. “Truly, Mrs. Travis, I do not believe that to be prudent.” 

“Please. He might listen to you. He thinks he should be picking it up faster than he is,” Mary said, moving closer to press the book into his hand. “Vin’s not as patient with himself as he is with others.” 

Ezra looked at the book in his hand. It was a simple, child’s reader, probably quite daunting to someone with limited reading skills. He licked his lips and nodded. “I shall see what I can do,” he met Mary’s hopeful gaze, “however, should Mr. Tanner shoot me, I expect you to nurse me back to health,” he added with a teasing grin.

Mary smiled back. “Of course, Mr. Standish, I’ll bring you plenty of Nathan’s healing teas to drink,” she returned slyly.

Ezra placed a hand to his heart. “Oh, the inhumanity. I’d best go find our intrepid tracker,” he said, turning to leave.

Mary stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Thank you.”

He just nodded, tucking the book under his arm as he exited the building and headed for the livery. If Vin was still there, it might be the place to talk. Not many people would be frequenting the place in the middle of the day. 

Ezra entered the livery and paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. The area was clear of people, so he wandered down to Chaucer’s stall to check on his friend. The chestnut poked his head over the half stall door and nickered a greeting. “Hello, my friend,” Ezra said softly, offering the horse a peppermint from his pocket.

“Stand still, you ornery beast,” came Vin’s voice from the next stall down as Peso’s blazed head appeared over his stall door. The black lifted his lip and whinnied at Ezra.

Ezra chuckled, gave Chaucer a pat on the neck then moved over to offer Peso a peppermint as well. He could see Vin shoving the horse’s hip as he tried to get out from between the horse and the stall wall.

“Dang it, Ezra, stop spoiling my horse. Ya darn near got me squished to death there,” Vin grouched, reaching out to scratch Peso on the cheek as he munched happily on the candy.

“I brought you something,” Ezra said, casually handing the reader to Vin. “Mary asked me to give it to you.”

Vin’s face shuttered as he pushed the book away. “Give it back to her, won’t do me no good.” 

“Any good,” Ezra said, earning a black look from Vin. 

“It won’t do me any good to keep it, can’t read it, too stupid to figure out all those lines and scribbles,” Vin said, his voice low and full of self-loathing. “Just a waste of time.”

Ezra laughed. “Oh, that’s funny, Mr. Tanner,” he paused looking at the shame and building anger on Vin’s face and put the most innocent look he had on his own. “Vin? Surely you were jesting? You can’t possibly believe that you are stupid.” Vin frowned, confused by Ezra’s change in direction. Ezra pressed forward. 

“Well, now, that is stupid, because I have seldom met a man with a wit such as yours who was stupid. Intelligence is quite different from being educated. You should not judge your intelligence lacking when it is a lack in your education causing your difficulty.”

Vin blinked. “Ezra, are you trying to say you think I’m smart?” he asked, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. 

Ezra smiled. “No, I’m not ‘trying’ to say it, I just did. And you proved my point.”

“But, I can’t figure it out, Ez. You make it look so easy,” he finished lamely. 

“Vin, did you learn everything you know about tracking in one lesson?” 

“’Course not.” 

“And how many lessons have you had with Mrs. Travis?”

“Maybe a dozen,” Vin said thoughtfully.

Ezra nodded. “Aren’t you teaching JD to track?” Vin nodded. “Would you expect him to be skillful at it in only a dozen lessons?” 

Vin pressed his lips together and shook his head. Ezra just tilted his head and waited. 

Vin sighed. “All right, I hear ya. I just need more practice.” He stuck his hand out and took the book from Ezra.

“I would be willing to…” Ezra paused and shrugged, “well, if you like, I could…”

“Thanks, Ezra. I may just take you up on that,” Vin said with a grin.

 

The end


End file.
